PARLIAMENTARY POINTS.

Shannon News, 10 August 1923, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY POINTS.

In tills outpost of the Empire, with an area oi some sixteen thousand square pules more than Great Britain, \ve have, at the present time approximately 1,300,000 people as against 45,000,000 in the Motherland.—Mir HarVUb

Some time ago Mr Dan McGill was one the first-class engine drivers in New Zealand, and he invented a device ior the automatic closing oi gates. It was a good proposition and was considered safe. 1 understand that the Railway Department would not take uip any scheme. whether hydraulic, electrical or mechanical, which would do away with the human element. They would .insist, as 1 understood it, that the gates he manipulated 'by some person, and not hy a£iy miechianical ptioeess. i merely mention this in order that the Munster may see his way to have inquiry made into it, mid ascertain' whether there is any merit in the patent. Personally I think it ought to have some consideration. If the high-level crossings are too expensive ana ii the mechanical appliances for the control of the gates cannot be agreed to, then I think more powerful bells should be installed at all crossings. The srtiail tinkling bell which we have at the present time at some crossings is not nearly loud enough, when you consider that the traffic passing over the crossings to-day is mostly motor traffic andi not the slow dray as previously.—Sir J. P. Luke.

The damage was done by buying land at boom prices, and there is no use crying over spilt milk—the land is there and the "men are on it. Not only did the Government show its courage in buying land in the way ig dia, and at the price it diu, but e.ven experienced lanners in the same way bought land at the 'peak price, and it is not necessary now to say what should have been done. We have to face the position, and the taxpayers must face, the loss and make up for whatever has been done amiss. You might call it a mistake or a wrong policy, but the fact remains that we have soldier settlers on lands that were bought at prices that are to-fiay 35. per cent, more than their vjalue, and these settlers have to be assisted now, or else the public will want to know the reason why—Hon. Mr Buddo.

There is, for instance, intense cultivation, greater production and assistance to our industries, and the manufacture of more of our wool in thl* country. We are sending too much of it away, and when the housewife says it costs. 10s per pound for knitting wool we begin to wonder why :we sold fleece wool at Is. per pound. This is a matter worth thinking out; —Hon. D. Buddo.

. Fertilisers are now landed in this country at about half what they cost in the war period. Settlers have told me over and over again that the Nauru purchase was the hest bargain the Government ever made. Ido not g&y that Nauru phosphates are suitable for all soils, but when I- was in the Taumnga electorate I saw marvellous 'results which have followed upon the application; to. those phosphates. —Hon. Mr Ma»«ey. •

The Railway Department is now providing good houses for its workmen. It has erected what I think is a splendid sawmill and factory. I do not profess to be an expert, but I bad the opportunity of visiting this mill only a few weeks ago, in company with Mr Young, the member for the district. It is working now to a certain extent. It is a magnificent mill —in fact I do not think there is another mill in New Zealand like it. I am informed it will turn ou't one house per day, and the whole of the timber for the roof, the' floors, etc., is cut to the exact lengths, and all the parts are easily assembled on the site of the house and can at once be put together, rendering it unnecessary to use the saw.—Hon. Mr. Massey.